“Helena?” His hand on her shoulder broughther back.
She blinked and held the letter up to him. “Check the date. That is tonight.”
Sebastian scanned the paper then tossed it on the desk with a glower. “You cannot go. It is dangerous and I won’t have you—”
“I won’t.” He closed his mouth and his lips thinned. She didn’t know how to interpret his response, but he seemed to be spoiling for a fight. “I won’t go, Sebastian. I am aware of the risks.”
His eyes narrowed. “You will not go to Vauxhall? You will not meet the blackmailer?”
“No, I swear it. I have no idea who is behind this, but I am not stupid. I only take necessary risks.”
Suspicion slowly faded from his expression. “I expected more of a fight.”
“Well, I hate to disappoint you then.” This brought a smile to his face. “Even though I have no intention of meeting the blackmailer, I don’t think it is wise to ignore his demands.”
“Oh, we will not be ignoring the demands, but neither will we be paying.”
It was we again. Not you or I, but we. Tears burned the back of her eyes, but she blinked them away.
Sebastian made his way to his discarded cravat and grabbed it from the floor. “I will place a bag with no money and wait for the person to collect. Then I will deal with the demands.” Draping the cravat around his neck, he collected his waistcoat and jacket. “You do realize there are very few people who know the truth, which means the blackmailer is likely someone you know.”
“There is only Pearl, Lavinia, and Cora. And my sisters wouldn’t betray me.” The answer came to her. “It was Lord St. Ambrose. He knows the truth. He was there at Lavinia’s that night. She must have told him everything.”
Sebastian shook his head. “St. Ambrose has nothing to gain by drawing attention to his mistress. Besides, he has little need for money, and I feel certain he loves your sister.”
She scoffed. “If he loved her, he wouldn’t make her his whore.”
Sebastian returned to her side and smoothed a hand over her hair. “We cannot know what has passed between them, my love. Perhaps we should both withhold judgment until we discover who the culprit is.”
She nodded. Those blasted tears were clogging her throat, and she really didn’t want to cry at a time like this. “We can rule out Pearl, though. I left her this morning, and she would have no place to stay.”
He lifted her chin, his eyes compassionate. “Pearl is too pure of heart, of that, I am certain.”
His concession lifted her spirits somewhat, but she would rest better once he realized none of her sisters were capable of such a despicable act.
“I should go, sweetheart. I will need to recall the layout of the gardens in case a chase ensues. Are you going to be all right?”
She nodded. “Please be careful. I won’t be there to rescue you if footpads waylay you this time.”
That smile she loved with all her heart flashed. “I promise to keep up my guard this time.”
“I would feel better if you took Fergus withyou tonight.”
He fell silent, perhaps considering her suggestion. “That is sound advice. I will come by for him before midnight.”
Once Sebastian had gone, Helena donned a wrapper and tried to sort through the pile of correspondence awaiting her, but she couldn’t concentrate. How could St. Ambrose be ruled out so handily? Desperate men did desperate things. They gambled and lost. And they did things that were perhaps not part of their nature. Helena would seem like an easy mark with no husband to protect her.
Why should Sebastian risk bodily harm trying to apprehend the man when Helena felt certain St. Ambrose was responsible? She had readily agreed not to go to Vauxhall at midnight, and she wouldn’t break her promise. But there was nothing stopping her from paying a call to St. Ambrose. Perhaps catching him unaware in his own territory would even the odds. She could either beg for his mercy or threaten him in return, assuming Fergus would agree to stand behind her.
Either way, she had to do something to protect Sebastian, her sisters, Eve, and Olive. None of them deserved what the gossips rags would do once they sank their teeth into this juicy bone. And neither did she. The ones who deserved to suffer were already gone, and she would be damned if she allowed her father and Prestwick’s actions to hurt anyone again.